An evening with Eric Cantona part II - his greatest goal, United's philosophy and our next manager

October 26, 2018

Eric Cantona spoke at length to the crowd who hung off his every word. Having scored so many great goals, he struggled to single out one, but after prompting from the audience named the FA Cup final goal against Liverpool. He claimed not only was this great because it was against our rivals and it won us a trophy, but that it inspired the next generation of young players. The Class of 92, as they’re now referred to, won the Double in their first proper season in the first team thanks to Cantona’s presence.

Cantona named the FA Cup final goal against Liverpool as his greatest. Not just because it was against our rivals and won us a trophy, but because of the impact that winning had on the next generation. pic.twitter.com/aDniYYRk8K

Still, for all the success Cantona had in England, all the incredible goals he scored, he spoke about the one perfect goal he would loved to have scored.

“It’s one that nobody has scored in the history of football,” he said. “We’ve seen spectacular goals, wonderful goals, but we’ve never seen the simplest one. The goalkeeper touches the ball once and gives it to the right-back. And then to the centre-half, then to the midfielder. Ten of the players all touch the ball once and then the last one just taps the ball in to the net. This goal is very simple but we’ve never seen it. If you want to see it, ask for me as manager of United!”

Cantona was critical of the way that United play now, with Mourinho always playing it safe, which he believes contradicts the philosophy put in place by Ferguson.

“It’s the way you play,” he said. “You can lose games but you take risks. You lose against Juventus and they have 70% possession of the ball at Old Trafford. Could you imagine that with Ferguson on the bench? I suffer. And I suffer even more when I see City play so wonderfully. But I think kids needs to have an example. They need great players, great movements, creative football to identify themselves to a player or a team. And I think they are now losing a generation of young players. These young players identify themselves to the way City play. Can we accept that? No.”

Cantona went on to talk about the love and respect he had for Mourinho, but insisted “it’s not the right man for the right woman.” He wants to see an ex-player given the job.

“We see Zidane, who was an ex-player of Real Madrid, never managed any team before and he became the manager of Real Madrid. They gave him a chance,” he said. “Guardiola was the same for Barcelona. Antonio Conte at Juventus, Ancelotti at Milan. They were all ex-players at these clubs and they were given the chance and they won so many things for them. At United, they never give a chance to a player who knows the club from the inside, who knows the identity and philosophy of the club. They should give the chance to…” At this point, the crowd began calling for him to take on the job. “I don’t want people to think I’m saying this because I want to be manager of Manchester United,” he continued. “It’s just the truth. Giggs? Any player who wants to be the manager they should give them the chance.”

Cantona went on to claim that the Glazers don’t know anything about football and if they won’t give the job to an ex-player, then it should be Zidane who becomes our manager.

Cantona has spoken before about how much he loves United fans still singing his name but fears that one day that it will stop. But the Frenchman isn’t too sure why he is the one the fans still hold in the highest regard, yet doesn’t want to understand either.

“Why do you love me? I don’t really want to know why people love,” he said. “I don’t want to know why my wife loves me. I don’t want to know why I love her. Because when you try to understand and when we know why, it’s over!”

Can you imagine the rut we're in now, with the media ripping right into us and saying Mourinho is 1 game away from the sack, win, lose or draw and cantona scores a last minute winner and just turns slowly with his collar up in his trademark celebration!

We were blessed to have so many wonderful players playing for this great club. In my time my favourites were Ruud, Giggs, Cantona, Beckham, Scholes, Carrick, Veron, Solksjaer, Rooney, Tevez (yes the football part of him lol), RVP, Rio, Vidic, Van der Sar, Scmeichel, Stam, Johnson Irwin, Cole, Yorke and Park.
These players gave me the bugs in the tummy feeling each time Utd were about to play, whether it be against Real Madrid or West Brom!!
For some reason the current players just don't do it for me. I think Cantona is right, to get back what we had we need to appoint an ex player, eg Giggs, Carrick, or atleast a manager that is as passionate about the club as the fans (wishful thinking know) etc.

Yeah Mobi nowadays one can only dream i guess, lol.
After each bad performance i so hope the players will turn it around the next game and start blowing teams away again. I start off all positive....Until about 10 or 20 mins into the game.

Also, there are certain goals that you celebrate just more and louder than others. I remember so many late night games where i just couldnt contain myself and shout so loud that the wife and kids are all awake afterwards. I miss that feeling so so much. I think it came back to me a bit with Rashford's 1st goal against pool last season. It was especially wonderful because i ran into a pool supporter in the liquor store before the game and he was so confident they will give us a hiding. When Rashford scored me and my mates when wild with celebration...i miss that type of feeling.

Hendrix
Yes, you're right.. my wording was all wrong.. of course it was the way I was feeling in those couple of seasons in general, and especially how I was feeling once Smalling was sent off, and then the pure ecstasy when Jesse scored! Unbelievable!

If you really want a chill down your spine, google his video to Sir Alex when he was in hospital.

Glad to hear him speak from the heart and say what most fans are thinking. Chelsea and Arsenal changed managers and are playing well enough. United should be doing the same and more. He should go to OT and speak to the current crop about what it means to be a United player

Google Eric Cantona wishes sir Alex Ferguson the very best in his recovery from illness. There is one video from MSN that pops up first. It’s 3 minutes long. It’s the last 30 seconds that are about SAF. Out of town and can’t get the copy from that web page to paste in here on my phone. Not that technically savvy

“It’s the way you play,” he said. “You can lose games but you take risks. You lose against Juventus and they have 70% possession of the ball at Old Trafford. Could you imagine that with Ferguson on the bench? I suffer. And I suffer even more when I see City play so wonderfully.

This is precisely how I feel. I don't subscribe to fan rivalry in objective analysis. Yes we are required to hate Liverpool. We are required to insult City fans. But it's pointless doing it on a United forum like this. This should be where United fans do real talk about the issues affecting their club. And this can only be done by honest appraisals and debates about the REALITY within which United operates.

Manchester City from a purely football perspective is right now THE premier football team in Britain. Arguing about this is petty and unrealistic. Under Ferguson,United was THE premier football club AND team in Britain. And between 2007-2012 United was top 3 of the premier footballing institutions by pitch and off pitch measures alongside AC Milan(2002-2009),Barça (2005-present) and briefly Bayern Munich. We were the footballing heavyweights of the world. I'm not talking about branding or revenues. I'm talking about style,technical standards, footballing philosophy etc.

Maybe some people find this irrelevant as I've learnt over the last several years. Apparently winning trophies is all that matters. From historical records,the most successful football teams have had a long standing tradition of attacking excellence on the pitch amongst other philosophies. So I think I'm on the right side of history as is Cantona in emphasizing style.

City copied the same formulas back in 2011 from a hierarchy point of view. The owners and directors declared that they would build a premier ATTACK minded entity with a heavy investment in youth and young players. That's 2011. They copied almost verbatim both Barça and United's identity strategies. A few years ago they invested tons of money into an Academy which is only now starting to bear fruits clearly stealing from the United playbook.

They poached Barca's sporting director to fucking shape their club top to bottom for a hybrid tiki taka style adapted for the Premier League. They brought in players from La Liga as they were the most adapted to that "on the deck " style of football. David Silva,Aguero,Yaya Toure,Zabaleta,to recent times with Jesus Navas,Nolito, Bravo,Laporte etc. That's why their style has been consistent. It was actually fucking planned for. They literally prepared for Pep to take over while he was still at Barça.

At United we are busy arguing game by game. Oh today was a shambles. Oh last night the boys turned up fighting. We showed some spirit over the weekend. Mourinho should drop Lukaku. Whilst City have been planning global domination within a decade,the Glazers have turned United into a Chelsea wannabe. A club with no real principles that just moves from trophy hunting season to trophy hunting season. The only known Manchester United philosophy is "achieving record breaking revenues and consolidating global brand loyalty". That's fucking it.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee'll drink a drink a drink,
To Eric the King, the King, the King,
He's the leader of our football team,
…..

How we could do with a general like him now! But I doubt he would ever want to play under Mourinho!

I am still surprised, Mourinho is at the club. No wonder our best players want to leave, DeGea, Pogba, Martial and probably a few others. When are the Glazers going to realise that Mourinho is at the core of United's problems? They should get rid of him before we are left with entirely average squad!

If we get beat by Everton I would say that has to be it for Jose. one win in seven games is terrible considering some of the sides that we played. Also, The last game we scored first in was derby county. The stats don’t lie, we are still shite despite a scraped win against relegation fodder and a draw against a decent top 4 side who will probably finish 3rd.

I said before this group of players only show up against other top 4 rivals or when the chips are really down like against Newcastle and the crowd are on their backs.

It will be interesting to see how they perform today against a decent, certainly not glamorous, mid table Everton side with nothing to lose on a cold Sunday. I expect a long afternoon and an absolutely shocking football performance. At best I go for a 2-1 United.

I look around across the different leagues in Europe and I see how some teams are excelling and it makes me weep! Borussia Dortmund spring to mind, bloody hell what exciting attacking football they play.......Am I envious? Fuck yes

I look at Bournemouth and I weep..........A weekly salary of one of our overpaid 'stars' probably covers their whole squad........

And this is Manchester United we are talking about, once envied by everyone and now merely a laughing stock, yep. Our football is so crap its unreal.......Forget the shit results so far (ok I cannot) however the possession stat against Juve was not just shocking but fucking embarrassing

Brian
The difference between us and Dortmund, Bournemouth et al is they are not completely corrupted by money from the top down. When do we ever hear about Dortmunds/ Bournemouths last quarter financials? Never!

They are actual football clubs who focus on FOOTBALL, and try to be the best they can be at the sport.

What are we? We are business, all united care for these days is the brand and pound signs. It is finally showing on the pitch, football is an afterthought. They only way it will ever change is when those quarterly financial figures start going in the wrong direction, of course, by then it will be too late!

This exactly why I advocate for a period in which we simply write off trophies. Just get in one these Dortmund types of coaches. Not big names. Just someone who has an idea how to actually build a fast paced attacking team. That's it. Just build bottom up. Make this club attractive to exciting young talent and build from there. Dortmund have been bleeding players and managers every year but they still play top level attacking football. They turn Micky Batshuayi into a prolific, confident goal scorer within weeks of arrival. Mkhitaryan left that club as Europe's top attacking midfielder. Aubamayeng,Lewandowski,Hummels,Reus,Gundogan. They just keep churning hit after hit every year.

"They are actual football clubs who focus on FOOTBALL, and try to be the best they can be at the sport."

Most people don't actually get how important this is. Focus on the football. MUFC stands for Manchester United FOOTBALL CLUB. This is the core business of the institution. How the hell do u run a football club AND not know jack about the actual football?

"When do we ever hear about Dortmunds/ Bournemouths last quarter financials? Never!"

Please send this to Ed Woodward. This guy is way too enthusiastic about money and revenues. What a cluster fuck